Music on the Mountaintop

3rd Annual Festival at High Country Fairgrounds August 27 and 28

Story by Anna Oakes

The festival that began with a student project and a green focus is now in its third year, with more events, musicians, opportunities and community partnerships than ever. Music on the Mountaintop will bring 35 acts to Boone’s High Country Fairgrounds as the festival expands to two days in 2010—Friday and Saturday, August 27 and 28.

The gates will be open from 2:30 to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday. Campers may enter at noon on Friday.

Each year, the festival selects an organization to benefit with a portion of its proceeds, and this year’s beneficiary is Boone-based Appalachian Voices, an award-winning environmental organization committed to protecting the land, air and water of the central and Southern Appalachian region and advancing a vision for a cleaner energy future.

“We’re trying to help promote their cause,” said Jimmy Hunt, founder and director of the festival. “We’re really excited and honored to work with them.”

This year’s Music on the Mountaintop lineup features a slate of new and returning artists ranging from the genres of Americana and roots music to funk and jam. Headlining are Sam Bush, Railroad Earth, Keller Williams, Toubab Krewe, Acoustic Syndicate, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Josh Phillips Folk Festival and Holy Ghost Tent Revival.

Sharing the bill with these top national and regional acts are a host of local and Western North Carolina favorites, including Do It To Julia, Naked Gods, The Native Sway, Big Daddy Love, BPL, Guard the Van, Doc Aquatic and Upright and Breathin’.

Hunt said expanding the festival to two days is in response to demand from fans who completed questionnaires after last year’s festival.

“That was the number one thing by far,” Hunt said. “I think people loved what we’ve been doing the past two years.”

With 12 bands on the lineup for its debut in 2008, Music on the Mountaintop saw attendance figures between 2,000 and 2,500, and in 2009, the event featured 20 artists and attracted a crowd of 4,000. The festival donated $5,000 in proceeds to AIRE (Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy) last year.

“That’s probably hands down the coolest factor of our event,” Hunt said.

Appalachian Voices Development and Communications Director Sandra Diaz said the organization is excited to work with Music on the Mountaintop this year.

“A sense of place is important to building the strong environmental ethic needed to protect Appalachian land, air and water,” Diaz said in a press release.

In addition to its partnership with Appalachian Voices, Music on the Mountaintop highlights the efforts of other nonprofit organizations at the festival’s Green Village, where you’ll find representatives from NC GreenPower, ASU Energy Center, Blue Ridge Conservancy, Dogwood Alliance and Habitat for Humanity.

Overall, around 50 vendors will be at the festival providing food, crafts, gifts, information and children’s activities, including an obstacle course and a climbing wall.

Music on the Mountaintop also features a wine and beer tasting fundraiser for the second year and a new addition—The Ascent Series. More information about those events is provided in sidebars to this story.

Tickets for Music on the Mountaintop are $65 and $60 for a two-day pass for the general public and students, respectively, $40 and $30 for Friday only and $45 and $35 for Saturday only. Add $10 for camping. Kids under 13 are admitted for free.

Tickets are available at Footsloggers, Appalachian Music Shoppe and Green Mother Goods (cash only). ASU students can purchase tickets in advance using their Express accounts at the University Bookstore. Tickets can also be purchased online by clicking to www.musiconthemountaintop.com or at the gate.

All persons wishing to camp must have an individual camping ticket; camping will not be sold by the site. Hunt said that camping tickets have almost sold out. Attendees 21 and older can bring beer to the festival for a $5 fee with a 12-pack-per-person limit. No glass or pets will be permitted at the festival.

The High Country Fairgrounds are located at 748 Roby Greene Road in Boone. For more information about the festival, call 919-818-2614 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              919-818-2614      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or 919-605-5023 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              919-605-5023      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, email jsh@yellowdogent.com or click to www.musiconthemountaintop.com.